After my lapse in posting for a couple of days heres a quick update on life in NZ. Fortunately I slept most of the 10400 miles from LA to Auckland, lets face it, it was dark so I wasnt missing much. When day light did erupt and we approached Auckland it was a welcome sight. Im back to green fields and woodland with cattle scattered everywhere. Im in Northland which is the area North of Auckland. It did take a bit of work getting here, figuring out how to drive on the right side of the road, the left that is, especially through Auckland. Thank goodness it was a Sunday. 
I did very little on Monday other than keep Alec and Kelly occupied with questions but it is really to share the experience with other that have been in the same position.
Yesterday I got the driving bug and headed North to Broadwood to meet some farmers up there with diverse cattle and sheep operations. Herefords are very popular here, being the breed of choice for crossing to the Fresian dairy cows producing the black whitehead, but there are also plenty of red and whites around. 
I saw my first airstrip where the planes used to apply fertiliser and line land to load up. Yes you did read that right. I wouldnt fancy sitting beside that pilot when you see the technique for take off. its a short strip at 15degrees, the idea being that the accelerate hard and fall off the edge hopefully doing 80 mph.
I will stick to the 4 wheeler and sower I think, but around here the plane is the only way.
I visited a herd of Hereford crosses put to Charolais bulls. One big thing that Im trying to come to terms with is that cttle are at grass 12mths of the year as grass grows here 12mths of the year. Everyone I have visited so far is using some sort of rotational grazing system, which could be a hi-tech computer determined model or a simple shift daily or every other day. I have also seen mixed grazing of cattle and sheep together in ground conditions very similar to our own, complete with rushes! Im very excited about the rushes, were obviously not the only ones that can grow them.
The countryside changes guickly as you drive. Around Pakaraka it is quite volcanic with many of the fields strewn with volcanic rock, but as you move around the countryside it varies from flat to rolling hills, a lot of it quite like north Antrim along the coast road. More later as the battery is dying.
I did very little on Monday other than keep Alec and Kelly occupied with questions but it is really to share the experience with other that have been in the same position.
Yesterday I got the driving bug and headed North to Broadwood to meet some farmers up there with diverse cattle and sheep operations. Herefords are very popular here, being the breed of choice for crossing to the Fresian dairy cows producing the black whitehead, but there are also plenty of red and whites around. I saw my first airstrip where the planes used to apply fertiliser and line land to load up. Yes you did read that right. I wouldnt fancy sitting beside that pilot when you see the technique for take off. its a short strip at 15degrees, the idea being that the accelerate hard and fall off the edge hopefully doing 80 mph.
I will stick to the 4 wheeler and sower I think, but around here the plane is the only way.I visited a herd of Hereford crosses put to Charolais bulls. One big thing that Im trying to come to terms with is that cttle are at grass 12mths of the year as grass grows here 12mths of the year. Everyone I have visited so far is using some sort of rotational grazing system, which could be a hi-tech computer determined model or a simple shift daily or every other day. I have also seen mixed grazing of cattle and sheep together in ground conditions very similar to our own, complete with rushes! Im very excited about the rushes, were obviously not the only ones that can grow them.
The countryside changes guickly as you drive. Around Pakaraka it is quite volcanic with many of the fields strewn with volcanic rock, but as you move around the countryside it varies from flat to rolling hills, a lot of it quite like north Antrim along the coast road. More later as the battery is dying.
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